Fic In A Box 2023 Letter

[seal_nonnie]

Hello Gift-In-A-Boxer!
I go by Brachylagus_fandom over on AO3, and I'm delighted to see what you have in store for me! I've listed some general likes for the medium opt-ins I've requested across fandoms as well as prompts for the fandoms I've requested, but if inspiration takes you in another direction, go for it; I love all of these canons, and I'm sure I'll love what you create for them.

DNWs

• smut
• gore (canon-typical violence is fine, but keep injury descriptions minimally graphic)
• animal cruelty
• change of setting AUs (e.g., coffee shop/pirate/high school AU - canon divergence AUs fine)

Likes

• Worldbuilding - how did canon get to be the way it is? how do the nitty gritty parts of it work?
• Crack, especially crack treated seriously
• Characters being competent in their area of expertise
• Mystery/intrigue
• Missing scenes
• Hurt/comfort
• Fluff
• Hijinks
• Little details of canon
• Outsider POV
• Slice of life

Likes for Medium Opt-Ins

• Meta, Worldbuilding Canon - I really enjoy seeing how these worlds work, and I feel like meta and worldbuilding headcanons dive deep into that in nifty ways (either by analyzing canon evidence or creating theories).
• TTRPG Supplement - I'd love to see how any of these canons work as a TTRPG! I'm most familiar with D&D, but I've also played PBtA systems, and I'm more than happy to pick up a new system to port over a beloved canon. I really enjoy when narrative and mechanics interact in messy ways, as well as when things have unexpected-but-makes-sense-deep-down benefits/drawbacks.
• In-Universe Documents (what in WorldbuildingEx would be termed "In-Universe Meta") - a great medium for worldbuilding-focused works! I love all forms of these, especially documents that peer into areas of canon that are more in the background. For this (and Art and Poetry), Any truly does mean any; I love all varieties of this I run across, and so the easiest way to trim down the number of opt-ins I was requesting was just to request the top of the umbrella.
• Conspiracy Board - I'm looking for outsider perspective with this. Characters not in the know can make Very Reasonable Assumptions about what's going on with the main characters, but that doesn't mean those assumptions are anywhere close to right. Maybe a mix of accuracy and wild misses?
• List of things (character) is not allowed to do - a perfect excuse for comedy! Many of these characters are teenagers, a population well known for making bad decisions, and I'd love to see their (canonical or not) poor choices dragged out in listicle format.
• Poetry - I love poetry because it can establish very specific moods with very few words. No preference for metered vs free verse; I really like when very structured styles (e.g., villanelle) use that rigidity to full effect but also appreciate how less structured formats allow ideas and language to flow more freely. I tend to prefer people over nature in terms of subjects. I'm particularly interested in in-universe poems (e.g., something a character wrote or a song they grew up singing).
• Art in general - I love seeing different styles of art and how other people visualize things! In terms of specific likes, I tend to prefer stylized (e.g., art deco, medieval-style paintings) over realistic art styles and pieces with a clear sense of ~aesthetic.
• Illustrated Text - I love art and I love stories! I think illustrated texts can convey more information/narrative than art alone can convey, but art conveys a lot of emotion and setting of that text, and it can also allow a lot of concision in conveying that information.
• A Softer World-style panels/art - I think that the a softer world format is great for a gut punch, and have no preference of pre-existing comics with selected panels versus words of your own or art drawn by you versus official art/public domain images.
• Rashomon-Style Conflicting Narratives - I love these because you can see how each person's personal POV/insights/biases affects their view of the event, and I love the moment when all the disparate versions of a story gel together.
• Non-Linear Narrative - Fun experimental style! I love the opportunities for foreshadowing/dramatic irony this grants, and I think it's a great choice for stuff where a character's perception of time is busted (e.g., time loops, time travel) in particular.
• Recursive Fic/Remix/Fanart/Fancomic/Cover of My Fic - Honestly, I'm just curious to see how other people interact with/interpret things I've created. Any works under my name on AO3 are fair game; any art or fic opt ins that apply to your idea are fine. I'm also open to remixes/recursives/et cetera in fandoms I didn't request!
• Unique media - I think these are so nifty, and I'd love one as a gift! I really like things that use their medium in unusual/nifty ways, and I think that these all offer a great chance to do that.
• Logic Puzzle/Murdle - The logic needed to solve them, the way you get little bits and pieces before everything becomes clear all at once. I think this can be a fun way to do slice of life; A does these things with these parameters, but must remember which is which. For murdle, I love the backstory behind it, and the reaction of the suspect at the end! (I also really love the snarky weapons/locations/suspects cards).

The 39 Clues - Various Authors
Length Opt-In: Any Nominated Opt-In, Medium Opt-In: Any - Any In-Universe Documents That Fit the Canon Setting, Medium Opt-In: Art - A Softer World style art, Medium Opt-In: Art - Any Nominated Art Medium, Medium Opt-In: Art - Conspiracy Board, Medium Opt-In: Art - In-Universe Social Media, Medium Opt-In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Any Nominated Illustrated Text Medium, Medium Opt-In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - In-Universe Social Media, Medium Opt-In: Poetry - Any Nominated Style of Poetry, Medium Opt-In: Unique Rules - Any Nominated Unique Medium, Medium Opt-In: Unique Rules - Logic Grid Puzzle, Medium Opt-In: Unique Rules - Murdle, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Any In-Universe Documents, Medium Opt-In: Writing - In-Unvierse Social Media, Medium Opt-In: Writing - List of things (character) is not allowed to do, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Meta, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Non-Linear Narrative, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Rashomon (1950)-style Conflicting Narratives, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Recursive Fic of Any of the Recip's Works In This Fandom, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Reddit: In-Universe Reddit Post On Any Subreddit (Post + Replies), Medium Opt-In: Art - Remix - Art Remix of my Fic, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Remix - Fic Remix of my Fic, Medium Opt-In: Writing - TTRPG Supplement, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Worldbuilding Headcanon

Notes on the In-Universe Social Media/Reddit tags

• I think this series is a great place for some outsider perspective, just because Cahill "normal" is so far removed from the rest of the world, and the In-Universe Social Media/Reddit tags would be a great way to do that. (It kinda reminds me of the now-defunct Cahill Web, which, in addition to a bunch of In-Universe documents and edit wars on not!Wikipedia, had fake social media pages for the characters. The pages had a lot of pretty normal stuff and comments from non-Cahill friends, but there was also a bunch of references to Cahill activity.)
• I'd also love to see how the characters use social media in different ways that reflect their different personalities. I imagine Jonah's stuff would be very curated, since he's a public figure, but maybe he's got a side account or three that are much less so. (And there's always the potential for the "this reminds me of that time I threatened to kill you… looking great!" comments, with this group.)
• In terms of Reddit stuff, these characters have enough interpersonal tirefires to burn r/relationships to the ground. I also think a deeply bizarre AITA post with names removed but not any of the weird shit (and/or literal crimes) the characters get up to would be top-notch. ("I spied on and tried to shoot my best friend. AITA?") And the number of weird things someone could describe themself in a r/IAmA thread would be hilarious.
• It would also be great to see a seemingly unrelated thread, maybe on r/History, getting derailed via people trying to cover up and/or expose Cahill secrets.

Fiske Cahill & Grace Cahill

• These two have such an interesting relationship, in part because we don't really get to see it (since the series started with Grace's death). I'd love to see them as children (or well, I guess child + late teenager/early adult who's probably closer to parent than sister). In Storm Warning, Fiske partially convinces Amy of his identity based on how similar his reaction to Beatrice is to Dan's; what was the relationship between Grace, Beatrice, and Fiske like when they were young? Fiske was an artist, and some of his angsty teen poetry or art would be great.
• Fiske's decision to fake his death/become the Man in Black would also be a really interesting thing to explore. How involved was Fiske in Cahill business before he faked his death, and how much of the pressure on him was specifically a result of Grace's involvement? What was Fiske and Grace's relationship like immediately before that choice and afterwards? Did they keep in touch as family members or solely as Madrigals? I also think that Fiske's "death" would be a focal point for at least one conspiracy theory, between general true crime fervor (teenage white boy goes missing and has his death reported in one of the most sus ways possible) and Grace's prominence.
• Related to the above, it could be great to see Fiske reckoning with Grace's reputation/prominence/legacy before he left, during his time as the Man in Black, or after Grace's death.

Hamilton Holt & Madison Holt & Reagan Holt
Sports siblings! The Holt family dynamic manages to simultaneously be pretty supportive and deeply fucked up, and I'd love to see something exploring that. Some of their exploits pre-canon could be fun, as would their efforts to restructure the branch after Into the Gauntlet. How did the Clue Hunt (and subsequent misadventures) alter their relationship?
I really like how Hamilton and Regan both buck family expectations at different points and different ways. I'd really enjoy fic of the Holts being supportive of Regan's dancing or Hamilton's process of coming out/getting a boyfriend. (The existence of his off-page boyfriend is literally the only part of Doublecross I have osmosed.) Does Madison also end up doing something not Holt-like?

Olivia Cahill & Madeleine Cahill
Their relationship has always intrigued me. I'd love to see some of Madeleine's training or other things Olivia taught her, and both of them grappling with Gideon's legacy (and those of Katherine/Thomas/Luke/Jane). It would also be great to see Olivia's adventures in creating the serum antidote (with young Madeleine tagging on). How did she know what she needed to collect for it? How did she test it?

Amy Cahill

• I have an immense amount of affection for bookworms thrust into high-stakes situations, and Amy definitely qualifies. I'd love to see her pre-Clue Hunt, either on a trip to Grace's or just trying to muddle through. How did Grace prepare her for the Hunt (like how she trained Dan's memory)? What happened when Cahill stuff came up?
• It would also be great to see Amy growing into her responsibilities post-Clue Hunt. What was the adjustment from "Cahill is my surname and has no other meaning" to leader of the Madrigals like?
• What are some of her favorite books, either before or after the Hunt? What are some times things she read about came in handy?

Jonah Wizard

• I'd love to see more of Jonah's relationship to his celebrity status (which he seems to feel at least somewhat restrained by in Into the Gauntlet) - how has that changed over the years, as he's gotten older or more famous? How does it shift after what's got to be a pretty traumatic experience during the hunt? How does his role as the son of the Janus branch's head mesh with his career; beyond any networking opportunities the branch would provide, how does that benefit him? What is he expected to do in return?
• I'd also love Jonah's relationship with music in general, either stuff he writes (and its development over the years) or music written by others. Are there any songs he's too embarrassed to sing? Particular favorites (or tracks he has surprising fondness for)? What instruments does he play?
• I'd also be interested in Jonah's complicated relationship with various members of his family (both parents, Phoenix, etc.). How have those shifted over the years? Is there anything there that he's only coming to terms with as an adult?

Sinead Starling

• I think Sinead is a super interesting character; she's a very different person at the start of the hunt vs. in Into the Gauntlet vs. in CVV, but you can draw a decent through line between them. A look at her POV on those shifts would be excellent, particularly her decision to become a Vesper (and the resultant fallout).
• Pre-canon, how did she and her brothers get involved in Cahill business? What was her relationship like with them and Alistair, who seems to be an uncle figure to many of the younger Cahills? (Somewhat relatedly, where are her parents? 39 Clues definitely follows the kids' series trope of adults being evil/unwilling to help, incompetent/unable to help, or dead, but I think hers are the only ones not mentioned at all.) What were their normal lives like?
• The time between the explosion and the Starlings' re-entry into the Clue Hunt would be another excellent place to explore. It's a major shift in their lives however you look at it, and I'd love to see how it shook up the triplets' group dynamics and affected Sinead in particular. Did she have guilt over having fewer complications from the explosion? What kind of support did she get, from inside or outside the branch?

WB: changes to history

• As a kid, some of my favorite parts of the series were attempts to incorporate historical figures into the Cahill mythos, and I'd love to see more of that with the historical figure/event of your choice. I'm equally fine with connections mostly used to segue into your fave historical topics (as many of the books did) and serious examinations of how the Cahills being real would have impacted this event.
• I'd also really like to see how this would affect non-Cahill (or non-branch-affiliated) people! That could be a fun way to use some outsider POV (as the motivations of the hunt to people outside it are utterly obtuse) and feature historical figures who cannot be easily retconned as Cahills.
• It might also be fun as a "truth is stranger than fiction" take on conspiracy theories. (Who shot JFK? Well, an Ekat was trying to kill him from the grassy knoll, but a Lucian gave the Ekat agent lunch poisoning only to have their papers switched to obvious forgeries by a Janus, who was beaten to the site by a Tomas… and then some rando shot him from the book depository.) I could see this being played as the accepted version of events being true and branch actions acting parallel to real-life conspiracy theories, the actions of branch agents inadvertently planting the evidence used by conspiracy theorists, or it really being a Cahill conspiracy (covered up with varying degrees of accuracy). (Also, as a random aside, would some anti-Stratfordianism in a Cahill universe be a result of Shakespeare not being Janus? Especially if Marlowe et. al. were, given Jonah's mention of attempts to marry Caravaggio in.)
• For alternate media, art in a period-type style would be very cool. I also remember the "edit wars" on ILikeUselessFacts (CahillWeb's Wikipedia dupe), where members of various branches and people not in the know debated what should and shouldn't be in articles, and that could be nice to replicate.

WB: Branch Social Structure/Politics/Culture/Recruitment

• I was a huge fan of all the spy tropes as a kid, and the branches were a huge source of that. If you wanted to use a not-quite-OC, I'd love to see one of the card-only characters used to explore branch structures/culture/recruitment/politics; they have such interesting concepts I'd love to see explored.
• Besides "cutthroat and sporadically deadly", what do branch politics look like? How do they differ between the different branches? How do they differ between different bases within a branch?
• How do the politics/values of a branch affect its social structure; for example, would Ekats praise researchers unusually highly since they're "the smart branch", whereas social standing in the Tomas heavily hinges upon experience in the field (replete with "and the Madrigals were thiiiiiis close" aggrandizements)? How cohesive is branch culture, given that members are scattered across the world? (Again, is that something that's more on a major-base-by-major-base level?)
• How do agents get recruited, in addition to "my parents are agents, so I'll be an agent"? Do branches have people with an eye on local news/police scanners who have a talk with anyone who comes up with something interesting? Do people discover whispers of this organization that can take you anywhere, get you anything, and seek it out? (How do the branches determine if the person is actually a Cahill of the appropriate branch? Cora mentions a test in Emperor's Code, though in context she's lying about the results; there's a test panel in Into the Gauntlet, but I could see that fabricating results. If there is a test, how has it evolved over time?)
• I'd also love to see how the branches are run on a day-to-day basis, and how agents coordinate across bases. Obviously, the rise of the internet (and before that, telegraphs and other forms of quick communication) have allowed for a greater degree of contact and cohesion, but what gets left to an individual base to do and what gets kicked up the chain? (This would go back to politics as well - maybe you generally forward info on that weird guy dressed in black lurking around to your superior, but he's a dick and so you don't particularly care if the Madrigals get him.) Who pays for the electricity/food/water/supplies on a base? (Member dues, insider trading, the branch owns the local utilities? All sorts of possibilities.) Do agents stay on/near bases adjacent to their work, or seek jobs closer to major bases? (Do agents have outside jobs? Canon skirts this a bit because a lot of them are, like, twelve, but I'd be curious of the answer. Also, relatedly, do agents get paid, and if not, is that why a lot of them are rich and/or teenagers? Do you get college credit for being kidnapped and poisoned by your local Lucians?)

WB: Guardian Organization/Social Structure/Culture/Recruitment/History

• Honestly, I wish this had gotten explored more in CvV because the idea of a parallel (and predating!) organization dedicated to preserving the world is fascinating. How, when, and why were Guardians formed? How did they get tangled up in Cahill business? (If the Vespers originate from Damien Vesper, what were the Guardians initially formed to protect the world from?)
• How was the organization structured? Was it similar to the branches, where there's one leader (or leading council) in charge, or does the title refer more to a loose group of people with similar interests who could rely on each other for help? How were Guardians recruited?
• What skills did the Guardians value as a group? What methods did they use to preserve their knowledge/pass it on? How did they encode messages?
• What happened to the Guardians, other than Atticus and his immediate ancestors? (Are the Guardians otherwise wiped out, or merely in hiding/disconnected from Atticus' lineage due to a schism or presumed death? If it's the latter, I could maybe see that connecting with the Gomez family stuff in Storm Warning, but I'd love to see Atticus learning about his heritage either way.)

WB: Vesper Organization/Social Structure/Culture/Recruitment/History

• Again, an organization I'd love to see some explanation for. We've got some hints at their organizational structure - it's ruled by a council of six (albeit one that has someone who's been a member for about 3 years tops) - but I'd love to see an org chart for this mess, or how the council enacts policy. What is the goal of the Vespers as a whole? What do their missions typically look like?
• What is the social structure of the Vespers like? It's suggested (I think in one of the missions) that there are agents after the top six with V# titles, and that these carry some sort of prestige; are Vespers 7-39 (or 50, 100, 666, etc.) also in designated roles, or is it determined in some other way? What is the culture of the Vespers like? IIRC, Dave Speminer's burns were implied to be a deliberate coming of age ritual; is that just for descendants of the man himself or a more widespread thing?
• How are Vespers recruited? Sinead's recruitment suggests some seeking out of Cahills at their lowest moment, but between V1 and Arthur Trent, there does seem to be some family recruitment. (What is up with the Trents specifically? Are they a branch of the Speminers, some other long-allied family, or two agents who decided to start a family and raise their kids in it? How involved is Shep?)
• How did Damien form the Vespers? What were his inital goals? Is their enmeshment with Cahills a deliberate tactic, a means to get the serum, or largely a result of the scope of Cahill influence? (Did any Cahills know about them ahead of time or clock that there was a split between two groups of Madrigals/agents of enemy branches?)

WB: Any

• I love the tech in this series, and would love to see more of it (or similar ideas of your own). How does it work (schematics/explanatory documents welcome)? How were they invented/developed? How have they trickled out into the normal world over time? How do you reserve rights/patent something to secret for anyone outside the branch to know about?
• I'd also love to see more of the serum's development process (in particular sourcing the ingredients) or the antidote's development. It would also be great to see some of the previous attempts at recreation/uniting the family.
• It would also be great to see some different takes on the Cahill origin story - mythologizing the fire/using it as a motif, alternate versions of how it (or other major events) went down as told by different branches or at different times

Honor Harrington Series - David Weber
Length Opt-In: Any Nominated Opt-In, Medium Opt-In: Any - Any In-Universe Documents That Fit the Canon Setting, Medium Opt-In: Art - A Softer World style art, Medium Opt-In: Art - Any Nominated Art Medium, Medium Opt-In: Art - Conspiracy Board, Medium Opt-In: Art - Remix - Art Remix of my Fic, Medium Opt-In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Any Nominated Illustrated Text Medium, Medium Opt-In: Poetry - Any Nominated Style of Poetry, Medium Opt-In: Unique Rules - Any Nominated Unique Medium, Medium Opt-In: Unique Rules - Logic Grid Puzzle, Medium Opt-In: Unique Rules - Murdle, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Any In-Universe Documents, Medium Opt-In: Writing - List of things (character) is not allowed to do, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Meta, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Non-Linear Narrative, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Rashomon (1950)-style Conflicting Narratives, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Recursive Fic of Any of the Recip's Works In This Fandom, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Remix - Fic Remix of my Fic, Medium Opt-In: Writing - TTRPG Supplement, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Worldbuilding Headcanon

Eloise Pritchart

• I like how Pritchart is fiercely principled and dedicated to her cause, even when she appears to have outlasted it.
• Life as an Aprillist - working her way up through the ranks, doing missions (and dealing with subordinates) as Brigade Commander Delta, the moment just after the Harris assassination where everything's up in the air and just might work out
• Her reports as Citizen Commissioner (and conspiring with Giscard to get what they want from the Committee)
• Life as President of Haven - trying to rebuild, her schedule and responsibilities

Honor Harrington

• Honor as a child/teen - one of the things I like most about her is her determination to do the right thing no matter how difficult, and I imagine that started very young. (I'd also guess that, in Yawata Crossing, her parents' professions + treecat would also give a sneak peek to the "has tremendous power and influence and uses them well" theme of the later books)
• (Mis)adventures at the Academy with Mike Henke or on various early postings (as much as I love War Goddess Stateswoman Harrington of the later books, scrappy!Honor remains my favorite, and pre-Basilisk Station is a great time to do that)
• A day in the life, as an officer or Steadholder or Duchess
• Practicing coup/fencing/shooting or hang-gliding/sailing
• Relationship with Nimitz and how that's evolved over the years

Thomas Theisman

• I enjoy the way he and Honor are foils to each other - both with strong moral compasses and senses of duty, but where Honor's typically align Theisman's often conflict.
• Time at the academy - why did he join the Navy? What was his reputation like then?
• The worst drunken night he has ever had (and why it tops "accidentally signing your maybe-friend's death warrant")
• Planning and executing the Theisman coup and the immediate aftermath

Victor Cachat & Anton Zilwicki

• Chaotic Good meets Chaotic Chaotic. Spies! Intrigue! Drama!
• Attempts by uninvolved parties to stitch together what the hell happened in Chicago, with Cachat and/or Zilwicki's explanations Not Helping
• Figuring each other out in the early days of Torch and working together on Mesa
• Some of Victor's other "plans"/List of things Victor Cachat is no longer allowed to do
• For an AU where the Torch series didn't progress as it does and the two are still spies for their respective governments - a series of alternate meetings, wildly different locales and "oh this guy again"

WB: Any

• Havenite politics - how are the various opposition/rebellion groups pre-Pierre coup related, and what are the politics between them? How did various people get recruited? How did these relationships change after the Committee came to power?
• Theisman coup and aftermath - What was the first day/week/month after Saint-Just's death like? How did various characters (Pritchart and Giscard, the Ushers and Victor) get back to Haven? What was the public's reaction (especially given the McQueen coup and Octagon bombing just before)?
• Theisman's mother - a throwaway character mentioned in one (very intriguing) paragraph of In Enemy Hands. What happened to her after she gave Thomas up? (Did she become a revolutionary? Join the navy? Just live a normal life until one day her baby shot Saint-Just in the head?) How did it evolve from a relatively small-scale place to dump political prisoners to the massive operation we see in Echoes of Honor? What (if anything) changed when StateSec took over?
• Hades - Who are some of the other people to end up there? How? (AUs where other characters end up there through a twist of fate also welcome.) What was life like for the average inmate? How did it differ from life at Camp Charon?
• Grayson - How is Grayson history (the founding, Grayson Civil War, etc.) remembered in popular culture? What are some other things that Graysons brought along with them when they left Earth? How did Grayson tech evolve over time?
• Grayson's Art - What's Grayson's religious art like? Are there common/repeating motifs? How are people like Barbara Bancroft commemorated? Its popular music seems to be space themed parodies of country & western music (and if that idea sparks your fancy, by all means go for it) or (already existing) hymns - what other music is there? How has it been corrupted from the styles we know by time and distance?
• Art in General - What are some notable pieces of future art/media? How do styles of creation (e.g., poetry, animation, even fashion) differ between different parts of the settled universe? What are some pieces of art of particular importance to various characters?
• Founding a Colony - How are colonies initially established? What is on colony ships? (Very adaptable - and cryo-friendly - flora and fauna, prefab habitats, equipment to determine if the local flora and fauna is edible, etc.?) How does this process differ based on the target planet and when the ship left? Many of the planets we see in Honorverse are pretty hostile to human life. How did early colonists discover this? How did they deal with these perils? I'd love a look at Potsdam during the cellulose-eating-bacteria years or Manticore during the Great Plague or Calvin's Hope discovering their world is broken and having to course-correct or Grayson discovering the heavy metal problem right after scuttling their ships.

Dimension 20 - Court of Fey and Flowers
Length Opt-In: Any Nominated Opt-In, Medium Opt-In: Any - Any In-Universe Documents That Fit the Canon Setting, Medium Opt-In: Art - A Softer World style art, Medium Opt-In: Art - Any Nominated Art Medium, Medium Opt-In: Art - Conspiracy Board, Medium Opt-In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Any Nominated Illustrated Text Medium, Medium Opt-In: Poetry - Any Nominated Style of Poetry, Medium Opt-In: Unique Rules - Any Nominated Unique Medium, Medium Opt-In: Unique Rules - Logic Grid Puzzle, Medium Opt-In: Unique Rules - Murdle, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Any In-Universe Documents, Medium Opt-In: Writing - List of things (character) is not allowed to do, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Meta, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Non-Linear Narrative, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Rashomon (1950)-style Conflicting Narratives, Medium Opt-In: Writing - TTRPG Supplement, Medium Opt-In: Writing - Worldbuilding Headcanon

Captain K. P. Hob/Delloso de la Rue

• These two are so sweet, and I'd love to see more of them together. Had they met at previous Blooms (or other events in general), and if so, how did they get along? What is their relationship like after the season ends?
• I'd love to see these two just having a good time together, be that recreating the Hart Hunt (but without the accidental insult/argument in the middle) or planning and carrying out a function for the Court of Craft or simply enjoying time in the gardens with gloves off and watchful eyes far away.
• Both of these characters are so lonely and feel so isolated from their courts of origin, and I'd love to see that explored in depth. How has that experience affected them since they were old enough to realize they didn't quite belong, and how do they carry that feeling into their relationship

Delloso de la Rue & Wuvvy

• These two have such a messy relationship, and I'd love to see a deeper dive into it. How has the balance of power shifted in their relationship over the years, from before Wuvvy left her court for the Court of Wonder until Rue leaves the Court of Wonder?
• I'd also really like a look at their relationship from Wuvvy's perspective. Does she feel resentment towards Rue for their closeness to other people? Dependence on Rue for her position? Affection? Gratefulness? All of the above and even more? How does the balance of her feelings shift over the course of the Bloom?
• And, critically for a canon such as this: how does everyone else view their relationship?

Lord Squak Airavis & Lady Chirp Featherfowl

• The Lords of the Wing are such tirefires, and I 110% love them. What antics have they gotten up to during previous Blooms? Are there any that they are particularly (not) proud of? What antics do they get up to outside of it?
• How do the revelations of the season (and the secrets they were keeping) change their relationship? How does it change their relationship with their grandfather? What is their relationship like outside the bloom; are they always close, or are they primarily joined by a common cause of caddishness and tomfoolery?

WB: History of the Bloom

• How was the Bloom first discovered? Could it always be reliably predicted, or was it first irregular?
• What kinds of superstitions arose around the Bloom? How have those changed over the years?
• I'd love to see what happened at previous Blooms, either ones our main characters attended or ones before they were around. What great scandals have arisen at previous Blooms, and how have they created grudges that carried on into the time outside of it?
• How does the experience of the Bloom vary by Court (either hosting or of the attendee)? How does it vary by class of the attendee (e.g., Binx prior to the Court of Craft's dissolution versus her now, or Hob as a private/corporal versus as a captain)?

WB: Any

• I'd love to see more of the fae politics. What was the cause of the war with the unseelie, and how was it resolved? What are the general alliances between the courts, and how have those shifted over the centuries? How do court politics change after the season takes place?
• What was the dissolution of the Court of Craft like for its ever-dwindling members? What were the opinions of other courts on the matter?

Dimension 20 - Mentopolis
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The Fix & Conrad Schintz

• I love their relationship so much! Conrad is such a sweet character, and the Fix is, too, underneath all the murder. I'd love to see how their relationship continues and changes as the season goes on, particularly as Conrad gains more confidence.
• Conrad lived at Miss Loathing's orphanage prior to canon - did the Fix ever meet him there? If so, how did they interact? Was he distinct from the other kids due to his nature of not being an interest? (I'd also love to see the Fix as a fellow orphan at some point in the distant past, as deeply repressed as Elias represses turtles and trains and his conscience, and how he bonded with the kids then. What would that dynamic look like, being the only one able to grow up?

WB: Any

• I'd love to see more of how the world of Mentopolis functions on a day-to-day basis (when we aren't falling out a window/under mind control). What dose a normal "day" look like at Sugar's or Nostalgia Diner? At Oblongata Station or Deluxe Industrial? At Norril's job? What does a day as a pain or other sensory carrier look like?
• I'd love to see areas of Mentopolis that don't get explored in the show, or other areas of the body entirely. How do the heart and kidneys feel about Elias' misadventure?
• How does aging work in Mentopolis? It's implied that Conrad and the interests are children because Elias views them as childish (and so they haven't been allowed to grow up alongside him); are all denizens of Mentopolis the age Elias subconsciously feels their emotion/thought should be and remain static until that changes? (If so, how does that affect family dynamics?) Do generations of thoughts come and go in the space of weeks, days, hours in the real world?
• How do politics in Mentopolis work? How is the mayor elected, and what does his position signify about Elias' state of mind/current actions? Are there other positions like a city council (or DA/judges, if those are elected)? What kind of bureaucratic system does the city have? What laws are there, and how are they enforced?
• I'd love to see more of the F family dynamic/backstory. What really happened that day with the ice skates? What have the siblings done since they got fired? How did none of the others notice their new mayor's oddly familiar face?
• It would also be neat to get a deeper look into the Psychometer, either from an external perspective (how it works, what the development process has been like) or an internal one (what was meeting it like for the DA or Norril?).

Lockwood & Co. (TV)
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Lucy Carlyle/George Karim/Anthony Lockwood

• I love these three! The initial mistrust to ride-or-die loyalty is so fun. I'd love a more interior look into the three of them as that loyalty (and general feelings) develop. Does one of them fall faster than the others? Who falls first, and who's the first to bring it up? What was the time between Lucy joining the agency and burning down the house like, or the time between solving the Ward case and beginning the Bickerstaff one?
• These three get into so much trouble that they really deserve a break. What do they do in their off time? What hobbies do they explore together, and which ones do the other two fundamentally not get? What little ways do they show their affection for each other?
• I'd also love case fic, of course. How does their relationship as romantic partners bleed into their work life? Is there an attempt to draw lines between them-as-romantic-partners and them-as-work-partners, or is everything in one messy, complicated box? Does one case end up hitting particularly close to home?

Lucy Carlyle/Norrie White

• The flashes of these two we got are so compelling! I love the ways in which Norrie introduces Lucy into life as an agent, and I'd love to see how feelings develop between them during that period (one of the few good things either of them has). How do they steal little moments with each other outside of work? How does their bond grow over time?
• And then after the mill! Such a rich source for angst and complicated feelings of guilt and grief. Lucy sending back tapes of her adventures to Norrie's family for them to play back to her. I'd love to see an AU where Norrie's ghost-lock breaks somehow; how does Norrie deal with the way Lucy's life and Lucy have changed in the meantime? Does Lockwood & Co. gain a new member, or merely another houseguest? I'd also love an AU where Norrie is the sole survivor, having to deal with the whole mess left behind, and venturing out to London in pursuit of their shared dream. How would a ghost-locked Lucy's experience differ from Norrie's, and how would she adapt to waking up in a world where everything's changed?

Montagu Barnes

• Had I seen this show as a teen or tween, I am 100% sure I would've pegged Barnes as an annoying meddling adult who just didn't understand what Lockwood & Co. are dealing with. Having seen this show as an adult, all I can think is "you're right, dude, these dumbasses DID forget their basic safety equipment". I'd love to see more of his perspective during the course of the show, from frustration at Lockwood & Kipps' bet to the paperwork mess surrounding Lucy's agent status to waking up to a phone call that an agency just purned down a house.
• I'd love to see Barnes' day-to-day work schedule. What are his primary duties at DEPRAC? How have they shifted over time, or during the span of individual cases/crises?
• I'd also love to see Barnes' backstory. What was his childhood like? Was he originally an agent, or did he have no Talent whatsoever? What led him to join DEPRAC, and what motivates him to stay?

WB: Progression of the Problem

• I'm fascinated by the early years of the Problem. How was it determined that ghosts were the cause, and how were the primary defenses against them established? What were some alternate theories for the Problem's cause and some cures that didn't pan out?
• How did the concept and recognition of Talents spread? Did the first generation of agents realize they'd grow out of it, or was that a nasty surprise a couple years in?
• How did the agency system get established, and how have agencies as a whole changed over the years?
• We know there are in-universe conspiracy theorists about the Problem; how did those theories get started, and which parts of them are true? (And which parts are less strange than what is true?)

WB: Any

• I love the peek into the Problem's logistics that the show gives us: the ghost-defense items (and relics) for sale, the reminder of nightly curfews, the system of night cabs. I'd love to see more of that, and a broader perspective for how the Problem works on society/the world as a whole. I'd also love to see more detail on any part of the worldbuilding from someone deeply involved in it, like Flo Bones' experience with and perspective on other relic hunters.
• Speaking of night cabs: I'd love something focused on night cabbies. How did they get into the line of work? How different is it from typical day cabs? Who are their primary clients (agents and night watch, random people trapped out after dark, something else)? What are their perspectives on the Problem - and on the agents and agencies they encounter?
• The whole agency system is fucked up in such an interesting way. I'm fascinated by the way abuse - general endangerment and, based on Lucy's comments about school, educational neglect - seems to be based into the agency system, and how supervisors, who perpetuate that abuse, are largely former agents themselves. What training do agents receive, and how standardized is it? How does the experience of agents differ between an agency like Lucy's and Fittes or Rotwell? Or, for that matter, between Lucy's ex-agency and the smaller agencies in London or other places where there appear to be more than one? I'd also love to see the family dynamics of agents; do most agents have terrible home lives, or is Lucy an exception? Since Talents seem to run in families, are there certain families where service with a particular agency is expected?
• I'd also love to see the logistics of running an agency, beyond the human factor. How are agencies started? What kind of paperwork is involved? Were Lockwood and George the first to come up with an agents-only agency, and if not, how did previous attempts turn out? How do differing budgets and coverage regions affect what cases they'll take on and research they'll do? Jacobs' agency, as best I could tell, was the only one in Lucy's area, but how do agencies advertise their services and distinguish themselves in a more crowded market like London? (Willingness to take on more difficult cases, cheaper rates, some type of special method, etc.?)

Murdle
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Deductive Logico/Inspector Irratino

• These two are so great. Always firm in the belief that their method of crime-solving is superior (and smug to one-up the other) but also respecting the other as a rival, antagonist, and friend (with benefits).
• I'd love an exploration of how their relationship has evolved over the years and how they've influenced each other. (E.g., the marot cards - Irratino uses them to divine info, but they're also Logico's suspect/weapon/place cards, but they've got star sign info on them, which seems very much against Logico's nature and thus a result of Irratino's influence.)
• And the dates! I love their various dates, and would love to see a new one (or one of those we already know). Do they ever talk about Irratino's tendency to play possum? Do they ever pull a cozy plot and have a body mysteriously appear on stage when they are at that experimental one act?

Deductive Logico

• The bushy-eyebrowed catcher of murdlers! I love his dedication to the art of logic puzzles, and it could be fun to see how that's developed over the years. Is the technique a Logico family tradition or something he picked up elsewhere along the way? How has his system been refined over the years? How does he solve cases that don't easily reduce to a grid format?
• Given the efficacy of Irratino's method, what drew Logico to rationality in a world where the occult is presumably real? Have there been any cases he solved that other means couldn't have?
• Logico is in a secret society, which sporadically passes him messages. How did he join such an organization? Who else is a member?

Inspector Irratino

• The man, the mystery, the dramatic himself! I love his sense of the occult, and I'd love to see how he came to it. Is it a genuine gift or merely a shortcut for intuition? Does the Marot work at a crime scene scene?
• Of course, there is no way to discuss Irratino without his weekly tendency to drop dead. How did that start? What does he get out of it? How does he fake his death; does he connive with the M.E., is it a very convoluted coincidence, or does only Logico get the message that he's currently dead? Why is Irratino at the rich people's prison in the first place; is he interviewing a prisoner, does he have a deal with someone, or is it something else?
• I would also be more than open to a take where Irratino's not faking his death but is getting magically resurrected or is in a time loop (possibly one that can only be broken by confessing to Logico). I think it could be fun to contrast his powerlessness over whatever's keeping him alive and his power over other aspects of the occult. (It could also be fun to see Logico in a loop, as he tries to rationalize this clearly irrational thing.) Was it something he invoked? Does he figure out how to break it, and if so, how does he do so? If he tells Logico, I'd love for Logico to just go "...right" - not necessarily believing him, but believing that it is something Irratino believes in as strongly as anything else, which is good enough for the moment.

Murdlers

• I love the game's many merry murdlers (and am including the rest of the submissions for the create a character contest in that)! I'd love to see their backgrounds explored; how did they come into their life of crime? When did they first meet our detective duo?
• I'd also really love to see some exploration of the love/hate/childhood friends icosahedron of the murdlers. They must have so much interpersonal drama going on at any one time, lol, and I'd love to see it.

WB: Forensics

• "Treat the fun jokey murder game's mechanics very seriously", basically. Many of the clues in this game (even aside from the secret society hints) are difficult/implausible in the real world. How do you get a fingerprint off the waters of the Nile? What kind of forensics tech does this world have? I would love to see the investigatory portion of any given Murdle puzzle; how does Logico come up with the items on his list?
• How do some of the weapons work? (For example, the lawyer would logically be a murdler, not the murdle weapon.) What happens when the weapon leaves nothing behind, or leaves behind something other than standard residue?
• The usage of star signs particularly interests me. How can you tell the star sign of a suspect from a crime scene? Do moon/rising signs matter, or is this purely based on sun sign? How do non-Western astrologies factor into this? (I would love to see academic-discourse-barely-concealing-bloody-fights on this, ngl.)

WB: Any

• Similar to the above tag, I would love to see the complicated boondoggle that arises when the assumptions of a Murdle grid (one weapon and motive per suspect, one suspect per location, and no weapons/motives/locations unoccupied) stop holding true. What happens when the guilty tell the truth and the innocent lie in a two-truths-and-a-lie game?
• I'd also love a look at the prison for rich people. How was it established? How does its status as an eternal revolving door work? Why are they not concerned about weekly murders there? (How does Irratino's not-technically dead status affect the legalities of the Sunday arrests? How does the legal system in this world work anyways?)
• Is the occult real/respected in this world, or is Irratino simply Logico's equal and opposite weirdo? What kinds of questions can ghosts answer? Is the spirit writing really from the other side, and if not, what is Irratino's alternate source?

Leverage
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Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer

• This OT3 is so shippy, and I'd love to see more from them! I love how well they work as a team for the cons and how dedicated they are to each other. It could really be fun to see how that dynamic evolves off-screen and alongside their cons. How does their romantic relationship affect how they work as a team?
• I'd also love to see them working together in the original show (dealing with the season 3 finale could be a fun source of angst), or acting outside of a con altogether. I really loved Hardison and Eliot's dynamic wrt the brewpup, and that could be fun to see more of.

Alec Hardison & Parker & Eliot Spencer
I also love these three as platonic! How does their relationship evolve over the course of the show, and how does they way they work as a team change in the interim between the original show and Leverage: Redemption, when Nate and Sophie are no longer around? Did they end up calling anyone else in, like in The Last Dam Job, or calling Tara for help, like when Sophie was on leave?

Breanna Casey & Alec Hardison
I love what we see of their relationship, and I would love to see more! When did Breanna first meet Hardison, and when did she find out about Leverage? How have they helped each other over the years, and when have they gotten in each other's way? How do their differing perspectives work when they're both on a job together?

Breanna Casey & Sophie Devereaux & Alec Hardison & Parker & Eliot Spencer & Harry WIlson

• I really love the crew in Leverage: Redemption. Their dynamic is really fun, and I enjoy the way it diverges from the OG crew's. Their personality clashes are really interesting to watch, and I love the way Redemption explores different info levels between different members of the team, where not only the audience but half the crew is surprised with what someone's doing/done. I'd love to see them on a job, or a more in-depth POV on one of the jobs in the show.
• It could be really fun to see their dynamic before the team formed as well. Harry is definitely the kind of guy who would be working for a Leverage mark, and maybe this isn't the first time Breanna's tagged along with her Uncle Alec. (The idea of bb!Breanna interacting with the crew is just great in general. Parker taught her how to pick locks when she was ten!)
• I'd also really love to see their relationship outside of jobs - dealing with the aftermath of a job or in the lull between them.

Alec Hardison

• Age of the geek, baby! I love Hardison's various hacking stunts (...however much some of them make me, as someone with a bit of cybersec knowledge, wince), and every time he takes on a persona is iconic.
• What's one invention he's particularly proud of, or one hack he very proudly takes credit for? Are they part of his Leverage work or something he did independently, either before (or after) the team or whilst they were on break?
• What is his work for Leverage International like? What jobs does he help out with and how, and how has that changed as more teams have been created? How does he establish the rep needed for "oh, he'll spend a month in space" to become a valid and reasonable option in Redemption?

Breanna Casey

• Breanna's also a lot of fun! I find her outlook very relatable, and I really like the way she does social engineering as a big part of her hacking. What are some big hacks she pulled before/away from the team? How does her solo work differ than what she does as part of a team con?
• What parts of being a Leverage member does she find most challenging, and which bits are most rewarding? How do her answers to these change over the course of the show?
• There's a joke about Aunt Parker teaching her to pick a lock; how much involvement did the various Leverage members have in her childhood, and how blatant were their various efforts to teach her criminal skills?

Jim Sterling

• He's a magnificent magnificent bastard. Just… so much bastard in such a convenient package. I love all of his appearances on the original show, how he's always one step ahead of the team just as they're always one step ahead of the mark, and I'd love his perspective on any of those appearances (or any time they crossed swords off-screen). What is his day-to-day like at IYS or Interpol?
• I'd love to learn more about Sterling's backstory. How did he get to his position at IYS? What drove him to be the person he is in the show? What's his relationship with his daughter like, and how has it changed over the years? Nate's described as always being supportive of IYS's office staff; what was Sterling's relationship with them like?
• His appearance in the finale is just… chef's kiss. What was going through his head at that moment? Did he have similar subtle aid moments with Leverage International, or was it a one-and-done thing? I'd love to see Sterling interacting with the Redemption cast. Maybe he's Breanna's childhood boogieman, maybe Olivia is a client (or mark), or maybe one of their cases goes international and hey, guess who's still working at Interpol…

Maggie Collins

• Maggie is such a fun character, and I'd love to see more of her. What's her day-to-day life like, before, during, or after the show? (It'd be really interesting to see her perspective on the first season of Leverage and its immediate leadup, I feel. So many conflicting feelings, and so many heavy nonconflicting ones.) Does she ever have to deal with blowback/attention from Leverage's schemes, or is everyone convinced that she and Nate are totally estranged?
• How does she interact with either Nate & Sophie or Leverage International post-finale? What's that like? I'd also really love to see her and part or all of the Redemption crew interact, as a client, accomplice, or just friend. Is she someone Breanna knows, at least by reputation? (Or, given her career, is she someone Harry knows from a time she was doing art curation for a particularly terrible client?)

Parker

• Parker is a super fun character! I love how her brain works ("you'll get paid, and also get revenge") and the way everyone just rolls with Parker being Parker. I also love how she treats her acrobatic prowess as extremely normal. (Also, for shippiness with Hardison, I love the "oh! Time for my quick change of the episode! I'd better start stripping down in front of you" thing she has with Hardison.)
• I love her tidbits of backstory, from the bunny hug & explosion to the implication her first solo job was Imelda Marcos. What's the most outlandish heist she's ever performed?
• I also really liked Parker as Alice White, and how she's developing a social network outside the team. It would be fun to see her pretending to be normal.

WB: Any

• I'd love to see how prospective clients get in contact/learn of Leverage. Does the crew just email people connected to shady corporations? Put out discreet ads? It would also be great to see those same clients down the line, maybe providing aid to the crew on an unrelated job as a way of paying them back.
• I'd also love to see documentation of Leverage, Inc., actual, filed with the government, or speculated. How does the crew's finances work?
• A detailed look at the tech employed on the show (or Hardison's exploits of it) would be great, either from the crew's perspective or people trying to track them.